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The longtime football coach in Southeastern North Carolina lived life fearlessly and on his own terms, and was a pillar of strength, the latter of which his family exhibited in abundance in his final days, according to friend and coaching protégé Joey Price.

Everyone knew Holley also frowned on crying – one of many traits he inherited from father Bill, who refused to shed tears.

The elder Holley spoke his mind and didn't care what others thought as long as he believed he was right. As a truck driver, Bill favored a union, to the chagrin of some. After expressing his opinion and refusing to relent, he was fired.

“That made a lasting impression on me,'' Holley once said. “He was very honest.''

Holley lived his life with the same sincerity.

He groomed countless coaches, including Price, who was his defensive coordinator at South Columbus before succeeding him with the Stallions. Although not an immediate successor, Price also took over in 2009 as Wallace-Rose Hill Bulldogs coach – two years after Holley tried to retire as a football coach. Holley eventually returned to coach Harrells Christian Academy before declining health forced him to retire in 2011 after a state-record 412 wins.

“It is not a bad thing to follow him,'' Price said. “The discipline and things he stood for in the weight room made it a lot easier.''

Price and Holley talked at least once a week, golfed and went to clinics together.

“I am going to miss that,'' Price said.

Jake Fonvielle, the current football coach and athletic director at South Columbus, also will miss Holley's nuggets of wisdom. Fonvielle played for Holley at South Columbus and considered him a role model who helped shape his coaching philosophy and family life.

“He has helped with whatever life has to challenge,'' Fonvielle said. “He molded me into doing the things like I am supposed to do them. The best way to describe him is the total package.

“He is a great coach, great person, husband and father. He had a special way of doing it. He had a way he set out to do things and never strayed from it. He wanted you to be yourself and do the things you say you are going to do. He is a great example for everybody and he touched a lot of people's lives.''

Giving, getting knowledge

In 48 total seasons on the sidelines, Holley kept decades of playbooks and 16-millimeter film reels.

Coaches copied his systems and he willfully passed his reservoir of knowledge to others. He introduced the Delaware Wing T into local football, an offense numerous teams now operate in an effort to level the playing field against more-athletic teams.

“At the 1A-2A level we coach at, you are going to take ordinary kids and you have to do extraordinary things with them and you have to be able to do it consistently,'' Fonvielle said. “You have to put them in a system where they have a competitive advantage every time they step on the field. That is what he always did as a coach.

“He didn't always run the Wing T before it evolved, but he always ran the types of offenses that always gave a smaller line and kids an advantage, even competing against the better and bigger teams.''

Holley also is regarded as the first prep coach in the state to use weight training.

Shortly after breaking in as head coach in 1964 at Tabor City High School, Holley invited Roman Gabriel, his former teammate at New Hanover, to demonstrate the weight training methods of the Los Angeles Rams, the NFL team he quarterbacked at the time.

During the visit, Gabriel realized Holley's training methods were ahead of their time, although somewhat primitive.

“He had his linemen running with a rope around their waist with four by four lumber attached,'' Gabriel said. “As a result, Jack's guys were like bumble bees – they stung you.''

Holley picked up weight training from a teammate at Guilford College. Holley immediately noticed he became stronger and faster. For the Quakers, he played fullback two seasons, interrupted by a two-year military stint, and switched to the offensive line upon return. He also played baseball.

But, he was born to coach.

At Guilford, with no eligibility left, Holley became a student football assistant.

“You always knew he was going to be a winner,'' said Herb Appenzenheller, Holley's college football coach. “He had the ability to run the right offense and he was just tenacious in all he did.

“I knew he was going to be a great success because he had all the determination to succeed. He also was kind of a mentor for a lot of young players and he also was always true to his principles and beliefs.''

<p>Jack Holley, who died Monday at age 74, leaves behind a legacy without peer to the legions of lives he touched.</p><p>The longtime football coach in Southeastern North Carolina lived life fearlessly and on his own terms, and was a pillar of strength, the latter of which his family exhibited in abundance in his final days, according to friend and coaching protégé Joey Price.</p><p>Everyone knew Holley also frowned on crying – one of many traits he inherited from father Bill, who refused to shed tears. </p><p>The elder Holley spoke his mind and didn't care what others thought as long as he believed he was right. As a truck driver, Bill favored a union, to the chagrin of some. After expressing his opinion and refusing to relent, he was fired.</p><p>“That made a lasting impression on me,'' Holley once said. “He was very honest.''</p><p>Holley lived his life with the same sincerity.</p><p>He groomed countless coaches, including Price, who was his defensive coordinator at South Columbus before succeeding him with the Stallions. Although not an immediate successor, Price also took over in 2009 as Wallace-Rose Hill Bulldogs coach – two years after Holley tried to retire as a football coach. Holley eventually returned to coach Harrells Christian Academy before declining health forced him to retire in 2011 after a state-record 412 wins.</p><p>“It is not a bad thing to follow him,'' Price said. “The discipline and things he stood for in the weight room made it a lot easier.''</p><p>Price and Holley talked at least once a week, golfed and went to clinics together.</p><p>“I am going to miss that,'' Price said.</p><p>Jake Fonvielle, the current football coach and athletic director at South Columbus, also will miss Holley's nuggets of wisdom. Fonvielle played for Holley at South Columbus and considered him a role model who helped shape his coaching philosophy and family life.</p><p>“He has helped with whatever life has to challenge,'' Fonvielle said. “He molded me into doing the things like I am supposed to do them. The best way to describe him is the total package.</p><p>“He is a great coach, great person, husband and father. He had a special way of doing it. He had a way he set out to do things and never strayed from it. He wanted you to be yourself and do the things you say you are going to do. He is a great example for everybody and he touched a lot of people's lives.''</p><h3>Giving, getting knowledge</h3>
<p>In 48 total seasons on the sidelines, Holley kept decades of playbooks and 16-millimeter film reels.</p><p>Coaches copied his systems and he willfully passed his reservoir of knowledge to others. He introduced the Delaware Wing T into local football, an offense numerous teams now operate in an effort to level the playing field against more-athletic teams.</p><p>“At the 1A-2A level we coach at, you are going to take ordinary kids and you have to do extraordinary things with them and you have to be able to do it consistently,'' Fonvielle said. “You have to put them in a system where they have a competitive advantage every time they step on the field. That is what he always did as a coach.</p><p>“He didn't always run the Wing T before it evolved, but he always ran the types of offenses that always gave a smaller line and kids an advantage, even competing against the better and bigger teams.''</p><p>Holley also is regarded as the first prep coach in the state to use weight training.</p><p>Shortly after breaking in as head coach in 1964 at Tabor City High School, Holley invited Roman Gabriel, his former teammate at New Hanover, to demonstrate the weight training methods of the Los Angeles Rams, the NFL team he quarterbacked at the time.</p><p>During the visit, Gabriel realized Holley's training methods were ahead of their time, although somewhat primitive.</p><p>“He had his linemen running with a rope around their waist with four by four lumber attached,'' Gabriel said. “As a result, Jack's guys were like bumble bees – they stung you.''</p><p>Holley picked up weight training from a teammate at Guilford College. Holley immediately noticed he became stronger and faster. For the Quakers, he played fullback two seasons, interrupted by a two-year military stint, and switched to the offensive line upon return. He also played baseball.</p><p>But, he was born to coach.</p><p>At Guilford, with no eligibility left, Holley became a student football assistant.</p><p>“You always knew he was going to be a winner,'' said Herb Appenzenheller, Holley's college football coach. “He had the ability to run the right offense and he was just tenacious in all he did.</p><p>“I knew he was going to be a great success because he had all the determination to succeed. He also was kind of a mentor for a lot of young players and he also was always true to his principles and beliefs.''</p><p><i></p><p><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic16"><b>Chuck Carree</b></a>: 343-2262</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @StarNewsSports</i></p>